Self-fitting cap



Dec. 23, 1958 m J. J. SHAPlRO 2,865,027

SELF-FITTING CAP Filed July 15, 1957 INVENTOR JACK J. SHAPIRO BY 44, J

ATTORNEY SELF-FITTING car Jack J. Shapiro, University City,Mo., assignor of onehalf to Frank Librach, University City, Mo.

- Application July 15, 195.7,-Se1-ialNo. 671,772

4 Claims. (Cl. 2 -19 7) This invention relates to improvements in "caps," and morev particularly in caps which adjust automatically to fit varyinghead sizes, such as theone disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,020,582 issued tome November 12, 1935.

It is aprincipal purpose of the present invention to provide a cap which adjusts itself automatically to fit varying head sizes wherein the size-adjusting means is concealed from view. An additional purpose of this invention is to provide such a cap which will adjust to fit a wide range of head sizes. An additional purpose of this invention is to provide such a cap which will have a consistently attractive appearance, substantially unaffected by the degree of expansion. An additional purpose of this invention is to provide such a cap in which the expansion is controlled so as to occur equally on the two sides of the cap, thereby retaining the symmetry of the cap. An additional purpose of this invention is to provide such a cap of simple and economical construction. Still further purposes will be apparent from this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom view thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the front of the cap with an overlapping side element cut away;

Figure 4 is a side view with the body of the cap partly cut away, showing in dashed lines the position of the crown when secured to the visor;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 with the cap expanded to fit a larger head size; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section taken along line 66 of Figure 1.

The cap shown in Figure 1 comprises a visor 10 and a crown generally designated 11 having a top portion 12, a front portion 13, and opposite side portions 14 overlapping the crown front portion 13 and having forward extensions 15 which overlap the front portion 13 and meet at the center thereof. As is customary, a snap 16 is provided for detachably securing the crown front portion 13 to the visor 10 when the front portion is folded upon the visor. Also as is customary, the crown 11 is made of soft, gatherable material and the visor 10 of stiffer material.

As best shown in Figure 3, the upper margin 17 of the crown front portion 13 joins the crown top portion 12, and lower margin 18 of the crown front portion 13 is secured to the visor 10. The rear margins of the .crown front portion 13 extend upwardly from the lower margin 18, preferably in a forwardly direction from points aft of the visor It The upper margins 19 of the crown side portions 14 also adjoin the top portion 12.. At their juncture 20, the forward extensions 15 are secured by fastening means, such as the staple 21, to the center of the front portion 13 adjacent its lower margin 18. Said forward extensions are otherwise free of the front portion 13 for the greater portion of their length. Hemmed within the lower margins 22 of said forward extensions 15 is an elastic member 23, which member is disposed equally within saidforward extensions so as to gather each elastically toward the center of the crown front portion 13. Said forward extensions 15 taper downwardly from the juncture of the side portions 14 and the top portion 12 commencing at a point outward and forward of the rear margins of the crown front portion 13 andcontinuing forwardly toward their juncture 20.

As best shown in Figure 2, a front headband 24, made of material stiffer than that of the said crown 11, is

secured to the crown front portion '13 along the juncture of its lower'margin 18 with the .visor l0. 'Extensions 25 of said front headband 24 project rearwardly of the rear margins of said front portion 13.

A rear headband 26, also made of material stiffer than that of said crown 11, is secured along the lower margins of said crown side portions 14. Rear headband 26 has forwardly opening pockets 27 which are adapted to receive rearward extensions 25 of the front headband 24,

thus permitting telescoping ofthe headbands 24 and 26,

the resultant relative expansion permitting adjustment to varying head sizes. a

When the cap is removed from the head, the elastic member 23 contracts, gathering the forward extensions 15 equally toward the center of the front portion 13, where the gathering is concealed from view by the crown front portion 13 when it is folded upon and detachably secured to the visor 1%). The contraction of the elastic member 23 also telescopes the front and rear headbands 24 and 26 to form the smallest head size a as shown in Figure 4. When the cap is placed on a larger head size, represented in Figure 5 by b, the telescoping expansion of the front and rear headbands 24 and 26 is resisted elastically by the elastic member 23, and the. crown side portions 14 slide over the crown front portion 13 at all times remaining in overlapping relation to said crown front. During such expansion and contraction of the head size of the cap, the fastening means 21 retains the symmetrical appearance of the cap, and the freedom of the forward extensions 15 and side portions 14 permits movement over the crown front portion 13, thereby avoiding wrinkling of the crown 11. The fastening means 21 also serves to prevent the front headband extensions 25 from leaving the rear headband pockets 27, which might otherwise occur by reason of uneven expansion.

The construction here shown has proved to be practical and reliable. Variations will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; accordingly, this invention is not to be construed narrowly, but rather as fully coextensive with the claims.

I claim:

1. A self-fitting cap comprising a visor, a crown made of soft, gatherable material, said crown including a top portion, a front portion having an upper margin joining said top portion and, a lower margin secured to said visor, said front portion being foldable upon said visor and having means for being detachably secured adjacent its upper margin to said visor, said crown further including opposite side portions having their upper margins joined to said top crown portion and having downwardly-tapering forward extensions overlapping said front crown portion and joined at the center thereof, said forward extensions being substantially concealed under said front crown portion when it is folded upon and detachably secured to said visor, a front headband made of material stifier than that of said crown and secured to said crown front portion along its juncture with said visor, said front headband having extensions projecting rearwardly of said front crown portion, a rear headband made of material stiffer than that of said crown and secured along the lower margins of said crown side portions, said rear headband a 3 having forwardly-opening pockets telescopically receiving the rearward extensions of said front headband, means having equal portions thereof hemmed within the lower margins of each of said crown side portion forward extensions whereby to gather each such forward extensions elastically toward the crown front portion center and thereby telescope said front and rear headbands, and fastening means securing the crown side portion forward extensions at their juncture to the center of said crown front portion.

2. A cap comprising a variable-size headband including a front piece and a rear piece associated retractably therewith, a visor secured to the headband front piece, a crown including a crown top portion overlaying the visor, and a crown front portion joined along its upper margin to the crown top portion and along its lower margin to the visor and the headband front piece, the crown front portion being foldable between the said top portion and the visor, the crown further comprising crown side portions each secured along its upper margin to the crown top portion and each having a part extending forwardly and in overlapping relationship to the crown front portion in the area of said front portion which is so foldable between the crown top portion and the visor, the headband rear piece being joined to the lower margin of that part of the crown side portions aft of the visor, and size adjustment means connecting the said forwardly-extending parts of the crown side portions across the crown front portion, whereby the overlap of the crown side portions over the front portion is increased as the headband pieces are retracted with respect to each other.

3. A cap as defined in claim 2, the size-adjustment means being elastic and hemmed within the lower margins of the said forwardly-extending parts of the crown side portions.

4. A cap as defined in claim 3, together with a front center fastener securing the said forward-extending parts to the crown front portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,198,824 Chandler Sept. 19, 1916 1,201,277 Dow Oct. 17, 1916 1,410,216 Newman Mar. 21, 1922 1,525,115 Behm Feb. 3, 1925 1,724,071 Carlson Aug. 13, 1929 1,829,040 Emerson Oct. 27, 1931 

